Jet boats use jet-pump engines which draw in water through an intake and expel the water at very high speeds and pressures through a nozzle at the stern of the boat. Effective and efficient performance of the jet-pump engine depends on the continuous and unrestricted provision of water into the intake. Sea grass, floating garbage, and other debris can become lodged in the intake or actually enter the jet-pump engine and impair the performance of the jet-pump engine or render the engine completely inoperable. When that happens, the debris must be cleaned out.
Jet-pump engines typically have a debris cleanout access which allows jet boat operator to access and clean the intake. The debris cleanout access is generally disposed over the intake on a swim deck of the jet boat allowing easy access, and the debris cleanout access is capped with a plug. The plug is usually secured in the debris cleanout access in a press-fit engagement, and when routine maintenance procedures are followed, the plug can be easily removed by retracting it from the access with a moderate amount of force. Sometimes, a light tap with a mallet is required to first loosen the plug before retracting it.
Unfortunately, a number of factors can cause the plug to become stuck in the debris cleanout access. Many boat operators fail to follow routine maintenance procedures and instead allow long periods of neglect to pass before the plug is removed, by which point, removal is made very difficult. Further, when a jet boat is used in salt water, corrosion, mineral deposit accumulation, and barnacle growth can seal the plug into the debris cleanout access, making removal of the plug very difficult.
When the plug is stuck in the debris cleanout access, jet boat operators will try many different tools and methods to loosen the plug. Many of these methods are damaging to the plug or to the swim deck surrounding the plug. For instance, a jet boat operator will often attach a rope between a piece of lumber or pole and the plug, stand over the plug, and pull straight up. If the plug does come loose, the operator can hit himself with the lumber or pole, or fall off the swim platform. Other times, the operator may place a lever, such as a piece of lumber or a pole, between the swim deck and a handle of the plug and attempt to “lift” the plug out of the debris cleanout access. This imparts a tremendous amount of localized force on the swim deck, which can cause the swim deck to crack. Further, while this places a large amount of vertical force on the plug, it also places a good amount of lateral force on the plug, which can damage the plug or the engagement between the plug and the debris cleanout access, reducing future fits between the plug and the debris cleanout access. Occasionally, the plug is so damaged that it has to be replaced completely, and the plugs cost several hundred dollars. Bodily injury, of course, is always a risk, too; the operator can strain his or her back or be hit by the tool used to extract the plug. Thus, there exists a need for an improved device and method which simply and easily removes the debris cleanout access plug without causing damage to the swim deck, the debris cleanout access, or other parts of the jet boat.